Bassenthwaite at the Graythwaite Estate

The cottage was fine, but the temperature when we arrived was unacceptable.

Clearly, no heating had been on for some time and no firewood was left. We arrived at 4pm and it took us a long time to get the cottage to a reasonable temperature. We had our 2 year old wrapped up in multiple layers of fleece and a dressing gown on top. If there was no provision for any heating being put on before arrival, I would have expected a small amount of firewood to be left. We live in a rural old cottage and are very used to cold weather but felt this was unacceptable.

Quaint, clean and comforable place to stay set in the Graysthwaite Estate.

Great base for exploring the lakes. Field to walk your dogs on the lead and play area for children. Towels, washing up liquid, cloths, tea towel provided and well equipt kitchen. Would consider staying again. Improvements-new mattress and matress cover for double bed, softer pillows-a bit on the hard side. Only large metal council bins on site. Recycle, dog poo and ash bins need to be included similar to previous feedback.

We loved the rural setting and the availability of walking in the area.

The accomodation was ok but felt a bit damp. The radiators helped to alleviate this. With other guests above us our experience was mixed. Some were mindful and were quiet while others were ridiculously noisy, A family with 3 boys and a dog were clearly having great fun by winding the dog up to charge about the hard surface in their lounge without any regard to other guests. It does say in the info that this can be a problem but if the upstairs was better insulated and carpeted there would be less likelihood of noise spoiling your experience.

The cottage was clean and well presented though I thought it lacked a bit of character inside.

Shared freezer, dishwasher and laundry facilities might have been a problem for a stay longer than our 4 days. Some detail concerning recycling would help--- having kept our recyclable stuff separate from rubbish, we found they were both going in the same bin. Parking was definitely a bit random with some guests not parking in sensible ways to maximise space and the estate shop prices were so incredible we didnt use it. The path down to the lake needs some serious pruning in the latter stages! However, that said, it was generally a nice place.

Nice apartment although you do get quite a bit of noise coming through the ceiling from the apartment above.

Facilities were good the wood burner was especially nice after a day of walking. Shared facilities were ok with hand sanitizer provided. The two Hoover's that were provided had seen better days though and I had to empty one before I could use it which in the current climate wasn't great. I was also surprised to see the cleaners when they came to clean a different apartment didn't have any PPE on and one was carrying the towels resting up against her face! Again not great in the current climate! We also found a dirty cup and some crumbs in the cutlery drawer which did make us wonder if the extra deep clean had been done efficiently. There was also broken glass near the bins so didn't seem anyone was checking them. Communication could have been better too as we didn't know what the situation was regarding recycling. All in all though a good apartment brilliantly situated for exploring the South Lakes although getting in and out of the drive wasn't for the faint hearted!!

We loved the cottage especially the 1st 2 nights as it was peaceful.

Our only moan would be from the 3rd night till our last night was the noisy people in the accommodation above. They talked very loudly and they banged around quite a bit which made our dog's bark which something they don't normally do. Otherwise we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and the area. Views were amazing.

we selected the property on the basis that it advertised having WIFI as our son needed to use the internet for work.

The advertised WIFI was unavailable for the whole week. We sent a message and were told that restoration of the service was in hand, but nothing changed. When we arrived the welcome booklet spoke of use of the swimming pool and Gym, neither of which were actually on site. There were also an excessive number of flies in the property and there was an active Wasp nest outside the kitchen window which meant that we couldnt have that window open. That level of mis advertising is totally unacceptable. We await your response.

A lovely place, well equipped and welcoming, and the wood-burning stove was wonderful!

Lovely cottage in a lovely quiet area with direct access to a secluded lake.

The cottage was beautiful and in a lovely area the only thing that will stop us going back was the road that lead in to it it was a road where if someone came the other way there was no way of passing each other.

Lovely place though for a couple of nights

We had an amazing stay, very peaceful, great location, apartment is cosy, clean, has everything you may need.

We would Definitely come back.

Nice cottage, lovely location.

Basics all covered. Couple of nice homely touches eg blanket for the lounge would have made a difference.

The cottage was cozy and had everything we needed, the location was perfect, I couldn't have asked for a better few days away, thanks!

The 'cottage' had recently been refurbished we guessed--tastefully done with quality replacements.

However it lacked 'homeliness' . A few books, maps to borrow ( great wall map), a jigsaw, etc --on a shelf or in a box- would have helped-charity shops do lots.We decided to buy our own in a charity shop--good for wet days and evenings. The heating had also recently been upgraded but we had trouble with the radiators. ( the information book needs updating on that issue )The one in the sitting room didn't seem to work.Fortunately there was a log burning stove.That was nice.We also had to buy a dishcloth as there was only a small piece of jeyecloth--floor or worktop? The situation in regards to the landscape and the village was lovely and we had a lovely holiday.

the cottages are set in a fantastic position with a lovley walk to the lake, yes we were lucky with warm sunny days, but even on dull days its wonderful

It should be mentioned that the view from this property is to the courtyard where the cars are parked and the other buildings only.

The view from the bedrooms is non-existent, looking out onto the rear wall. We had a late arrival and found the cottage had nor been cleaned or linnen changed!!

The standard of the accommodation was very good.

As mentioned in the description you can hear the people above and our they had small children so that did disturb us each morning very early. They were not badly behaved at all but running around made too much noise when you are sleeping. Maybe they should not let that property to families. Just to note the shower door is stiff to open/close and needs adjusting. We were also a little put out to find that the local milkman put a pint of milk on the step unsolicited with a note saying there would be a bill at the end of the time.. cheeky! we called and cancelled.

Great location .

Just the job

Excellent place to stay in quite periods.

Neighbours upstairs can be heard but we was lucky due to them being quiet. Private path down to the lake is a God send and leads to a nice place to relax. Only issue I had was that the shower head didn't go high enough for me as I'm 6ft 3. We've stopped there 2 years running now and my dog even recognised our cottage from last year.

We were very pleasantly surprised that the cottage had been recently refurbished to a very high standard.

We’ve spent lots of time in the Lakes but this was the first time in this location and first time with our dog.

It was great. Lovely cottage, great views and lots to do nearby. We walked, climbed, swam in the lakes and hired a boat. Would recommend.

Enjoyed the holiday the cottage was a good location for us however a couple of things need attention inside, the curtains in front room and kitchen fit terribly and make the place look a little shabby also heating in main bedroom was hit and miss and a big draft through front door needs sorting a couple of the kitchen doors are peeling,just a few things would make a big difference .

on the plus side wood burner works well the shower was hot and WiFi was good and I would stay there again .

What a beautiful location.

That's our fourth time staying on Esthwaite farm since June . First time in Bassenthwaite cottage. We found it fantastic as usual. The cottage itself seemed " more cottagey " somehow, having the panelled internal doors with the old fashioned latches. The wood burner is just fantastic. Sitting there in front of a roaring fire brought back memories of holidays in my youth in County Down. The first couple of days the weather was terrible but it didn't put a damper on things. It was great sitting in front of the fire and looking out at the rain. In fact once I woke up in the early hours, went into the living room, the fire was still blazing and there was my wife peering through the window and I thought, if this weather gets any worse I'm going to have to let her in. I found the fire very easy to light although some people have said they could have done with instructions?? The kitchen had all we needed. The cooker was great but we ate out most days. We went into Hawkshead and got some provisions. Teabags, milk and the like. But a few instructions on how to make a cup of tea would have been helpful !!!!! The scenery is spectacular. A recommended walk would be right round Esthwaite water. Through Hawkshead and then round the west side. About 5 miles but not very hilly. Highly recommended. And that's from an almost sixty something. Other great places to see are Tarn Hows, Hawkshead Hill and Grizedale forest is a must. There's a visitors centre with a cafe and also a pottery shop with a potter doing his stuff. This is where we picked up our ceramic poppies all hand painted. A must see place. All in all another great week. No matter how many times you go to the lakes there is always something new to see. We love the place, especially my wife who says she'd like to move to the Lake District. I said I thought it was a great idea but we should write to each other at least once a week. Tommy & Angie Reid

location lovely Cottage basic and 'tired' no hot water for 2 days no gas to cook for 2 days so pretty disappointed overall would i go back to bassenthwaite?

No would i use sykes again yes but would want a better experience

This was our first family holiday away and it was one to remember.

Amazing location and the cottage was beautiful if a bit secluded.

Some instructions for the wood burning stove would have been useful

Beautiful location could not have asked for better.

Great area for dogs/ kids with path to the lake. Lots of lovely walks surrounding the area. From the photos I was expecting it to be smaller that it actually was, lots of room for two adults, two 12year olds and a lab. Kitchen very well stocked with utensils a little small, but the whole cottage was very clean and comfortable, especially the beds!

We had to be moved after our first night due to the noise in the apartment above.

We did this through the owners and the second apartment was perfect.

The info said secure garden, safe for children and dogs, yes there is a wall between the lawn and the sheep, but there is an open gate, a large opening by the main building, an opening to the path to the lake and open woodland on the other side, not my idea of secure.

The info showed the main building facing the lawn and said it was shared, it did not say it was shared by 11 cottages or that the one I booked was at the back 30 yds from the lawn. The info should show the exact location of the cottage being let, I had to remove the toilet extractor fan filter as it was blocked. Cobwebs under the bedside drawers, The shower tray did not always empty quickly enough to keep up with the shower. I felt the kitchen door opened the wrong way, it is only a small kitchen and the door was in the way, the fridge door and the microwave door also opened the wrong way making use awkward. I did not like the old fashioned door handles and window catches, 3 different types of catch on the windows! Only one working washing machine for several days and that was temperamental, there was only one 'henry' type hoover shared by 11!, a second appeared on the last day,

Great location, everything we needed, clean and tidy lovely village pub fantastic.

Loved this cottage so much we stayed a few more days!

It's quite out the way and either takes 30 minutes to get to civilisation or a fiver for a ferry crossing but we will defiantly be back next year. The views as you wake up are amazing and it's so peaceful. Only downside (and this is nitpicking) is the size of the kitchen as it is rather small but that's it. Would recommend to anyone looking to get away for a quiet week with the family.

Nice cottage, quite tired inside, carpet could do with a good clean, cottage would benefit from a hoover!

Great fire!

Issue we had with shower tray dealt with brilliantly quick.

Whilst we loved this cottage we never go back and always seek a different place to stay and explore. So no reflection on this property that we wouldn't rebook.

The Cottage was fine, the only complaint was that the kitchen had a very strong smell of dead mouse.

The directions to the House were not at all clear

Amazing holiday dog walking around the Lakes, fantastic area and very dog friendly.

Lovely property, will definitely be back

A very enjoyable holiday.

Main complaint was the noise from the apartment above. This could be improved by putting a big layer of insulation in the ceiling or thick carpets in the above apartment. The noise upset my dog considerably and I had to turn the TV volume up to drown out the noise from the occupants. Plus point was the very comfortable bed. Won't book this apartment but might book Derwentwater cottage which is more self contained.